SATB (unison male voices),Organ. Duration: 2½ minutes. Text: George Wither. Written in 1986 for Ruddington Methodist Chapel Choir. A simple but touchingly effective carol in 3 parts.
SATB a cappella. Duration: 37 minutes. Commissioned by Gerry Mattock and Beryl Calver–Jones and first performed at the Bath Festival on 3rd June 2004 by Bath Camerata, conducted by Nigel Perrin. As well as the 12th century Latin text, the piece sets part of the Jewish funerary prayers Kaddish in Aramaic, a blessing from the Talmud Babli in Hebrew, and part of the Muslim funerary rite Salaat al–Janaaza in Arabic. A deeply felt setting of this mediaeval poem by a modern master of choral writing, this major work presents a powerfully relevant view of the Crucifixion story.
SATB a cappella. Duration: 10 minutes. Extracted from the Stabat MaterGZ 019. An ideal programme choice for Passiontide services or concerts. The motets may performed separately or as a set.
“. . . mindblowing, contrasting moments of awesome power coupled with poignant emotion. . . ”
Five songs for unaccompanied choir on poems by Wendy Cope.
Reading Scheme
Some People
I’ll be nice
Verse for a Birthday Card
Lonely Hearts
SATB a cappella.
Duration: 10 minutes. Commissioned by Soundstreams Canada and first performed on 14th November 2004 at the Metropolitan United Church in Toronto by University Voices, conducted by Robert Sund. Witty and quite saucy fun – the mini–fugue to the words "Some people like sex more than others" gives an indication of the overall flavour – and a brilliant contrast to this composer’s Stabat Mater, written earlier the same year.
SATB choir, SATB soloists, Organ. Duration: 8½ minutes. Commissioned by Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis, and first performed there on 19th December 2004 by Plymouth Congregational Church Choir, conducted by Philip Brunelle. Swayne’s Magnificat I, written in 1982, is in the repertoire of choirs all over the world. This new setting (again in Latin) is simpler, being scored for four–part choir, supported by organ. But it is just as dramatic, with four full–blooded solo parts.
SA, Organ. Duration: 2½ minutes. Text: traditional. Composed in December 2004 for Ruddington Methodist Chapel Choir. A simple and evocative setting of traditional Yorkshire words, in which gently falling snow symbolises peace and renewal.
SATB a cappella. Duration: 2¾ minutes. Composed in autumn 2003 for the choir of Clare College, Cambridge. A contrapuntal yet beautifully singable setting of this medieval hymn to the Incarnation.
SATB choir, SATB soloists, Organ. Duration: 5¼ minutes. Commissioned by Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis, and first performed there on 6th February 2005 by the choir of Plymouth Congregational Church, conducted by Philip Brunelle. A companion–piece to Giles Swayne’s Magnificat II GZ 044, this new setting – also in Latin – stresses the tender, valedictory nature of Simeon’s greeting.
SATB choir, Organ. Duration: 9 mins. A simple liturgical setting of the Eucharist, using the Order One version of the text.
Eminently singable by a good parish choir. Despite its relative simplicity, this setting contains much of the punchy
rhythmic writing familiar from Swayne’s other choral music.
Treble voices (unison & two parts), organ. Duration: 2½ minutes each. Commissioned by the choir of Leeds Catholic Cathedral. The words of Panis angelicus are by Thomas Aquinas (1225–74); those of Anima Christi are at least as early: the first surviving copy is found in a document dating from 1334, but the prayer was long known as the Prayer of St Patrick, and may have been written in seventh century Ireland. These two settings are strongly contrasted: the first is canonic and highly concentrated; the second is agitated, and has the incantatory mood of a magic spell..
SSATB choir a cappella. Duration: 4¼ minutes. Christmas carol, commissioned by the choir of Clare College, Cambridge for the 60th birthday of their conductor Tim Brown. First performed in the Herz–Jesu Kirche, Münich, on 13th December 2006. Words anonymous, 15th century. A beautiful and quite elaborate setting of this much–loved carol.
Treble voices, piano. Duration: 3¾ minutes. A tuneful and eminently singable new Christmas carol by this distinguished British composer and pianist, with words by Stephen Holmes, Vicar of Winton in Bournemouth. It will be premiered in two concerts given in November 2007 by the combined choirs of Bournemouth schools, conducted by Peter Hunt, as part of their 60th anniversary celebrations in the Pavilion Theatre. It will also be recorded on DVD in the composer’s arrangement for small instrumental ensemble.
SATB, piano.
Duration: 3½ minutes. We are proud to publish this intensely individual carol by one of Britain's most distinguished composers. Worlds away from the tinsel-and-angels kitsch often produced at Christmas, this setting of a poem by Keith Warner focuses on the healing and renewal of winter, and is suitable for both church and secular performance.
Solo counter-tenor, lute, SATB. Duration: 2½ minutes. Commissioned by the great counter-tenor James Bowman, this new carol by "the finest choral composer writing today" (The Times) will be premiered on 14th December 2008 at the Queen's Chapel, St James' Palace by James Bowman, Dorothy Linell (lute) and the choir of Her Majesty's Chapel Royal conducted by Andrew Gant. They will also perform it in a concert in the Ballroom of Buckingham Palace, to be recorded by Classic FM and broadcast on Christmas Day.
SATB a cappella. Duration: 1¾ minutes. A setting of original words by Katrina Shepherd, this short carol beautifully captures the hushed rapture of a small parish church in a snowbound landscape, just before the celebration of the Nativity. Couched in a highly accessible style, it is simple for any choir to sing, and is likely to prove very popular with choirs in Britain and abroad.
Children’s voices in 3 parts (unaccompanied). Duration: ¾ min. A brilliant little round for children’s voices which adapts and immortalises the street–cry used by children collecting for fireworks before Guy Fawkes Day.
Tenor and Piano. Duration: 10 minutes. Commissioned by the British Music Society. 1st performed 23rd Feb. 1980 by Edwin Rolles (tenor) and John Blood (piano) at Goldsmiths’ College, London. A delightful sequence of songs vividly evoking the joys and sorrows of railway travel.
Tenor, Piano and Wind Quintet. Duration: 10 minutes. This lively arrangement of GZ 021 by the composer was commissioned by the Viente Ensemble, who gave its first performance at the St Neots Spring Music Festival on 17th May 1980 with Edwin Rolles (tenor) and John Blood (piano).
Prologue (piano solo)
1. ’Tis true, ’tis day (Donne)
2. Persuasions to enjoy (Carewe)
3. Take, O take those lips away (Shakespeare)
4. So we’ll go no more a–roving (Byron)
5. When I have seen by Time’s fell hand (Shakespeare)
4. Echo’s lament to Narcissus (Ben Jonson)
Tenor and Piano. Duration: 20 minutes. Written in 1965 and first performed that year by Peter Birts (tenor) and Giles Swayne (piano) at Trinity College, Cambridge. A youthful work, pulsating with adolescent sexual longing.
Mezzo–soprano and String Quartet. Duration: 5 minutes. First performed at St. Michael and All Angels Church, Barton Turf, Norfolk, on 18th June 2005 by Ruth Peel and the Solstice Quartet. Words traditional and by the composer. A tender and witty celebration of the marriage vows, ideal for a musical wedding.Click to view text
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Vocal score, miniature study score and (4) parts: £16.00
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Piano. A set of contrasted pieces for children of all ages. Duration: 15 minutes. Grades 3–5 technical level. Composed in 1974, and left unprinted for 27 years, it was published to great acclaim by Gonzaga Music in 2002. The first performance of the complete set was on 9th November 2003, in a recital by Giles Swayne at Abbey Road Concerts, London.
Flea–bites
The band
Mysterious lake
Posh Lady dancing
Posh Lady walking
Posh Lady swimming
Mousetrap (a sad tail)
Frosty morning
Smelly old cat
Nasty little dog
Ice–cream van
Wet Sunday afternoon
Big fat policeman
Dodo’s lullaby
Ophelia’s lullaby
Ice–cream van(no. 11 of Scrap–book) is a Grade 3 exam piece in the
Associated Board syllabus (List C), and appears in the Grade 3 album published by ABRSM Publishing
"I thoroughly enjoyed looking through Scrap–book. What a lovely way to introduce the young to the delights of 20th century music! Giles Swayne’s pieces are not only witty and amusing – they teach aspiring musicians to characterise. The player is invited to play roles and to identify with people, objects and situations. A publication seems long overdue."
Piano. 12 pieces for children of all ages. Duration: 12 minutes. Grades 2–4 technical level. Each piece is a musical picture inspired by postage stamps (and a pillar box) from various countries around the world. Commissioned by Gonzaga Music to celebrate the company’s formation in 2002. First performed by Giles Swayne on 9th November 2003, in a recital at Abbey Road Concerts, London.
ICELAND: Snow dance
SUDAN: Desert caravan
AUSTRIA: Wonky Waltz
LUNDY: Sea mists
UKRAINE: Rustic wedding
GREECE: The Acropolis
LILLIPUT: First day cover
AUSTRALIA: The lyre–bird
MEXICO: Jumping beans
RUSSIA: Bolshoi drama
GREAT BRITAIN: Hurrah! Mr. Trollope invents the Pillar–box
SICILY: Tarantella mafiosa
Stamp–albumwas chosen as a set book
by the 2006 Glasgow Music Festival
Piano. Duration: 6½ minutes. In three eminently playable movements: a zappy Allegro, a haunting Arioso, and a refreshingly exuberant Vivace. Grade 6–7 technical level. First performed on 19th June 1980 by John Blood in a recital for the British Music Society at Chelsea College, London.
“This is my first sighting of the Gonzaga Teaching Series, a collection whose ‘teaching as entertainment’ philosophy is underlined by companion titles advertised on the back cover (Ten Terrible Tunes, Vegetable Fiesta, and so on, reviewed in recent issues of MT). This Sonatina by John Blood (series co–composer with Giles Swayne) is equally diverting, being succinct (its three movements take just five–and–a–half minutes) and witty, testing out your interpretative skills in an idiom between, say, Kabalevsky and the Hindemith of the second sonata.. Pitched ast Grades 6–7, it is effectively written and easier than it sounds (its stretches of a tenth may be circumvented) – with bitonal moments ready to tease any nervous grannies within earshot. It has waited a long time for publication since its premiere (1980), and I highly recommend it.”
Piano. Duration: 3 minutes. A gentle and lyrical first movement is followed by a contrasting quirky and energetic dance. Grade 5–6 technical level. Composed in 1972. First performed on 19th June 1980 by John Blood in a recital for the British Music Society at Chelsea College, London.
Piano. Duration: 7½ minutes. A sequence of five extracts from the 1725 Anna Magdalena Book, in a witty reworking for piano. Technical level: Diploma. An ideal recital piece.
Piano. Ten contrasting pieces which encourage the young pianist to express moods and characters of many kinds. Although technically easier (Grades 2–4) they are similar in approach to the same composer’s Scrap–book GZ 001. The sixth piece, Whistling Tune, is included in Spectrum 4, an international collection of miniatures for piano, compiled by Thalia Myers and published by the Associated Board under licence from Gonzaga Music.
Piano Grade 1. Ten pieces depicting a basket of fresh and varied
vegetables, including a downcast cabbage, an elegant French bean out for a
Sunday stroll, two chirpy Spanish onions, and even an exploding turnip.
This rewarding and picturesque collection forms an excellent introduction to the same
composer’s Stamp–albumGZ 002
Piano. Duration: 2¾, 2¾, 2 and 6 mins. The first four of a series of piano pieces which will be written over the next few years. The premiere was given by Mizuka Kano at Lake District Summer Music festival on 11th August 2007.
Bagatelle 4 was first performed (also by Mizuka Kano) on November 22nd 2008 at the Ständehaus, Kassel, Germany during the 2008 Kasseler Musiktage.
Organ. Duration: 29 minutes. Commissioned by Cambridge Summer Recitals and Dartington International Summer School. The first part of this powerful evocation of Christ’s journey to Calvary. Ideally to be performed as a complete sequence of 14 pieces (with Book II GZ 045); but pieces may also be performed individually. The complete cycle was premiered by David Titterington at King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, on 18th November 2006.
Organ. Duration: 26 minutes. Commissioned by Cambridge Summer Recitals and Dartington Summer School. The second book of this important addition to the repertoire. The complete cycle was premiered by David Titterington at King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, on 18th November 2006.
Organ. Duration: 5 minutes. 12 short variations on "Ten green bottles", tumbling chromatically and dramatically downwards through the octave, and culminating in a 5–part fugue in the manner of JS Bach. An entirely frivolous organ involuntary, guaranteed to make you laugh. Environmentally friendly, too. It was first performed at Christ Church, Oxford on 27th July 2005 by Kevin Bowyer, who also played it at recitals in Wells, Durham and Truro cathedrals in August.
Piano.
Duration: 7-8 minutes. The long-overdue publication of these intensely concentrated variations for piano, which were premiered by Raphael Terroni in May 1983 during the Lennox Berkeley 80th birthday celebrations. This "characteristically eccentric gem" (Hampstead & Highgate Gazette) has been widely performed in Britain and abroad, and in 2009 will feature on a CD of Giles Easterbrook's music, to be released by Campion.
Harpsichord. Duration: 23 minutes. Grade 6–8 technical level. An instrumental drama which portrays the events, settings and characters of the Shakespeare play. In ten contrasted pieces which skilfully exploit the harpsichord’s varied registers, we hear Macbeth’s encounter with the witches, his dark broodings, and Lady Macbeth’s wily powers of persuasion – an increasingly manic Valse diabolique. The growing mayhem eventually leads to the appearance of Banquo’s ghost, and Macbeth’s defeat at the hands of Macduff. Vivid, spooky and exciting.
Oboe and Bassoon. Duration: 8 minutes. Written for members of the Viente Ensemble and first performed by them in 1979. A youthful and light–hearted set of short pieces. Popular with wind quintets, who frequently include it in their programmes to create variety (and a breather).
Clarinet and Piano. Duration: 8 minutes. 4 movements. Written in January 1988 for Geraldine Allen and Roger Vignoles.
Effective recital pieces which end with a riotous and demonic dance to the god of Mammon. Although designed to be played as a set, they also work well when performed separately.
Flute, Horn and Bassoon. Duration: 10 minutes. This cheerful and charming confection has been played many times by the Viente Ensemble, who commissioned it in 1982. It is a useful ingredient in wind quintet programmes, since it allows two of the group to have a breather. It was first performed in Harlow on 24th February 1983.
Oboe and Piano.
Duration: 7 minutes. Technical level: Grades 6–7. Three contrasting movements: a vigorous Allegro deciso, a lyrical Andante espressivo containing a passionate central section, and a rustic Vivace e giocoso dance for the finale. Written in 1983, and dedicated to Tina Cumming, it has been frequently used by students as an end–of–term concert piece.
Bass Oboe or Tenor Saxophone, Piano. Duration: 15 minutes. A large four–movement sonata, commissioned in 1981 by Richard Smith, then principal oboist of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. A slow, enigmatic first movement is followed by a mechanistic scherzo, a lyrical adagio, and a fast finale which builds to an intense climax. It was first performed by Richard Smith (bass oboe) and John Lindsay (piano) at a British Music Society concert in Chelsea College on 22nd April 1982. This edition includes an alternative part for Tenor Saxophone.
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GZ 052
Burgers
John Blood
Flute & Piano. Eight wry and witty pieces for flute, Grades 1–2, which, while putting the young player through a series of useful and exciting technical and musical challenges, bid an impudent farewell to the high–risk, low–nutrition craze for fast food. Flute part edited by Philippa Davies.
THE ROYAL DELUXE:
Regal procession
HAGGIS HALF–POUNDER:
Midnight revel
KANGAROO QUARTER–BOUNDER:
Lazy sun–dance
THE MINI, MINI–BURGER:
Fast food scherzo
THE WESTMINSTER SPECIAL:
Thames nocturne
CRUNCHY COCKROACH:
Scuttle dance
THE BURGHERS OF CALAIS:
Lament
CHEF’S WHOPPER:
Knees–up
“This book contains eight lively, entertaining pieces for students of Grade 1 to 2 standard. The titles are brilliant: Haggis Half–Pounder, Kangaroo Quarter–Bounder, Crunchy Cockroach, Chef ’s Whopper and so on. The music is great fun, with interesting piano parts to match.”
Clarinet & Piano. Eight seafaring pieces for clarinet, Grades 2–3, which play on the names of knots and hitches (real and invented) to create a sparkling variety of mood and character which will stimulate the musicianship and technical skill of the aspiring clarinettist.
Flute
& Piano. Duration: 9 minutes. Grades 6–7. Four pieces offering a melodious and flautistical view of the Adam and Eve story. Swayne’s mastery of the flute, familiar from HAVOC, Winter Solstice Carol, and the virtuoso Canto for flute (all published by Novello) is here put to excellent use for budding young players. These pieces, which introduce the player to such things as flutter–tonguing and harmonics, have been edited for the flute by renowned flautist Philippa Davies, to whom they are dedicated.
The Gardener of Eden
Adam and Eve and Pinch–me
Paradise Stomp
Forbidden Flute
“Giles brings to these delightful pieces a great understanding of the instrument and a wonderfully fresh approach. Although
making demands on the player, he adds that particular quality of fun which is always present in his music. They are little gems, which everyone will enjoy as much as I have.”
Philippa Davies
“. . . challenges of metre and simple extended techniques within a highly enjoyable and accessible idiom.”
Alto saxophone and piano. Duration: 8½ min. A set of variations on a theme by Leonardo da Vinci, who as a young man in 1480s Florence was a popular singer and also played the lira da braccio (a posh version of the folk fiddle). This scrap of love–song is written in one of his notebooks. The words (encoded as musical notes) are “Amore la sola mi fa remirare, la sola mi fa sollecita”. [she alone makes me dream of love, she alone makes excites me]. This piece was commissioned by Hannah Marcinowicz with funds provided by the RVW Trust and the Britten–Pears Foundation, and was first performed by Hannah Marcinowicz and Giles Swayne on 8th January 2008 in a Park Lane Group Young Artists concert at the Purcell Room, London.
Park Lane Group Young Artists, Purcell Room, London,Tuesday 8th January 2008
“This was a memorable first performance of Leonardo’s Dream. Swayne has composed seven aptly enigmatic and airborne variations on a theme discovered in one of Leonardo’s 1486 notebooks: a sweet melody in mirror–writing, a little puzzle of pictures, words and notation. He responds to it with jazzy nonchalance, with trillings, leaps and bumps shared between saxophone and piano, and always with a witty investigation of the quintessence of the melody and the essence of each instrument.”
Hilary Finch, The Times 10th January 2008
“Hannah Marcinowicz . . . also played the premiere of Giles Swayne’s Leonardo’s Dream – variations on a theme by Leonardo da Vinci . . . a pithy work that included a visit to a nightclub – cued with real swing – and notable for giving an abundance of colour and expression to the sax. Leonardo’s Dream should be a mandatory choice next time a saxophonist is invited to play in a PLG concert.”
Trumpet and Piano. Duration: 4 minutes. Written in 1973 for Christopher Blood, who performed it to win the Manns Brass Prize at the RCM the same year. First public performance in revised version, 1982 BMS concert, Chelsea College – Christopher Blood (Tpt) John Blood (piano).
A showy concert piece: slow introduction, then fast and jazzy.
Trumpet and Piano. Duration: 15 minutes. Commissioned by the Earl and Countess of Harewood and first performed by Alison Balsom (Tpt) and Iain Farrington (Piano) at Harewood House, near Leeds, on 28th November 2003. London premiere at the Wigmore Hall on 9th December, 2003. A virtuoso concert–piece for both instruments, this important addition to the repertoire stems from a phrase used by Lorca about the nature of performance. It is in two movements: a jazzy blues, and a dreamy finale subtitled Sueño (Dream).
Trumpet and Piano. Duration: 10 minutes. This arrangement of the 1787 piano Rondo highlights its affinities with Don Giovanni (written the same year) and the increasingly dark quality of Mozart’s late style. First performed by Alison Balsom (Tpt) and Iain Farrington (Piano) at Harewood House, near Leeds, on 28th November 2003.
Horn and Piano. Duration 4 minutes. Commissioned by Christopher Owen for the 1997 Lake District Music Festival. A momentary shaft of light breaks through the dark shadows surrounding the lake in this sombre elegy. Christopher Owen and Ken Forster gave the first performance in St Oswald’s Church, Grasmere in 1997.
Horn and Piano duet (4 hands). Duration 2 minutes. An old French dance–tune, often played as an encore by Dennis Brain. This arrangement first performed
by Christopher Owen, Catherine Matthews and John Blood at the 1997 Hawkshead Summer Music Festival.
2 solo Trumpets. Written in 1982 as a series of short teaching pieces, graded by technical difficulty (Grades 5–8). Ideal for students and teachers, they are entertaining as well as technically instructive.
Brass Quartet: 2 Tpts, Horn, Tromb. Duration 1 minute. Commissioned by Savoy Brass to open their 1978 concert in Nottingham, and frequently played by them in concerts and at weddings.
4 Brass Quartets: 8 Tpts, 8 Trombs. Duration: 3 minutes. Written in February 1983 for a performance in Hitchin. A robust piece which exploits the antiphonal possibilities of spatially separated groups, and requires a conductor.
Brass Quartet: 2 Tpts, 2 Horns. Duration: 4 minutes. Written for Brio Brass, 1985. First performed at Chiltern Orchestral Society & Tring Choral Society concert, Tring, December 1985. A seasonal peal of brass bells.
Trumpet and piano..
Technical level: Grades 5-7. Three contrasted and tuneful pieces by this well-known trumpeter and highly experienced teacher of brass instruments. Troika creates the atmosphere of a ride in a sleigh drawn by frisky horses; A winter stroll is a gentle melody which exploits the trumpet’s lyrical side; and OK Run, Val d’Isère is a romp. All three pieces are beautifully written for the instrument, and stretch the player’s technical ablity.
Trumpet and piano.
Duration: 4 minutes. Technical level: Grades 7-8. Dreamsong is the second movement of Sangre viva (GZ 015). The mood is derived from a poem by Federico Garcia Lorca called Sueño – a poem about time, eternity and oblivion:
My heart rests by the cool fountain. (fill it with your threads, Spider of oblivion)
Dreamsong is being published as an independent piece because it is short enough to be performed by trumpeters who may find the parent work Sangre viva too much to handle – and also because it is highly suitable for recital programmes and advanced teaching purposes.
String Sextet (2 vns, 2 vlas, 2 cellos). Duration: 10 minutes. Written November 1982.
An enigmatically haunting theme is followed by eight variations which skilfully exploit the sonorities of the sextet, and display remarkable verve and versatility.
3 violins and continuo. Duration: 4 minutes. A piece of pastiche baroque, written in 2003 in a fit of desperation after hearing one performance too many of Pachelbel’s lollipopular version. A curiously addictive experience.
String Quartet. Duration: 18 minutes. This idiomatic and practical arrangement of Beethoven’s 1824 Bagatelles – his last significant works for the piano – illustrates their close relationship with the late quartets. A fascinating addition to the repertoire.
Cello & Piano. Duration: 29 minutes. First performed by Robert Irvine and Fali Pavri in July 2006 at the Cheltenham Festival, this major work (the first by Swayne for this combination of instruments since 1970) was commissioned by Beryl Calver–Jones and Gerry Mattock, to whom it is dedicated. It is marked by a return to classical principles and structures, and by the systematic use of contrasting eight–note modes. An important new addition to the cello repertoire.
1. Turbulence
2. Rest
3. Child’s play
4. Threnody
"One of the many satisfying aspects of Giles Swayne’s cello sonata . . . was its ability to enrich and renew the tradition . . . a tremendous Brahmsian sweep that carried the listener along through skilfully fashioned paragraphs . . . compelling musical argument . . . convincingly encompasses both serious matters and unforced playfulness in an original, authentic voice. It was the pick of the premieres . . . at the 2006 Cheltenham Festival . . . deserves to be heard again and often."
Viola & Piano. Seven pieces for viola, Grades 2–4, which exploit the viola’s wide range of colour and character in portrait–studies of crawling creatures in all their fascinating variety.
Violin. Duration: 5 minutes. Commissioned by Michael Alexander and first performed by him on 10th March 2007 in All Saints Church, East Budleigh, Devon. A lively piece full of theatrical effects, and flamboyant almost to the point of flashiness, it sounds much harder to play than it really is, and is well within a Grade 8 technique. The perfect choice for a recital encore.
Cello. Duration: 14 minutes. Commissioned by Gerry Mattock and Beryl Calver–Jones for the Scottish cellist Robert Irvine, this piece, a conscious homage to the cello suites of Bach, was written in May 2007 during a holiday on the Ionian island of Paxos, and radiates the sunlit atmosphere of Greece. It was recorded less than a month later for a Delphian Records CD of Swayne’s cello music which will appear in 2008.
String quartet.
Duration: 5¾ min. A tribute to Swayne’s friend, the celebrated violinist, quartet leader and teacher Christopher Rowland, who died in June 2007. When Swayne visited Rowland three days before his death, to say goodbye, he found him singing (over and over again) the slow movement of Mozart’s Sinfonia concertante K.364. This piece takes a slightly altered version of Mozart’s theme, and weaves a set of intensely emotional variations upon it.
String Octet (4 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos). Duration: 5 minutes. A brilliant solution to the conundrum which arises whenever string players gather to play the Mendelssohn Octet: What else can we play? Arthur Sullivan’s sparkling overture lends itself with uncanny ease to this combination of players, and each part happily weaves in and out of the ever–changing contrapuntal textures of this witty curtain–raiser.
Cello and piano. Technical level: Grades 2-4. Seven light-hearted but carefully written teaching pieces (arranged by the composer from the version for viola, published last year) which offer a wide range of colour, character and technique in these portrait-studies of creeping and crawling creatures.
Guitar.
Technical level: Grades 4-6. Sanja Milutinović-Gudurić is a highly respected guitarist who performs in Macedonia, Belarus and Bulgaria, as well as her native Serbia. She teaches the guitar at Zrenjanin Music School in Novi Sad, Serbia, and has composed many pieces for teaching and concert use. These pieces are tuneful and nostalgic without being sentimental, and beautifully written for the guitar. They make excellent recital pieces, as well as being ideal for students. The last two pieces are scored for two guitars.
Cello and piano. Technical level: Grades 1-3. All manner of astral bodies are visited in this wide-ranging voyage through space. Each piece is in the form of a march, but the eight marches have very different characters, ranging from the chirpy confidence of A Frisky Asteroid to the funeral lament of The Dying Star. This composer being an accomplished cellist, these pieces show an intimate understanding of the problems and possibilities of the instrument at this level.
2 Speakers (male & female), Descant Recorder, Flute, Alto Sax, Vn, C’bass, Piano. Duration: 4 minutes. Written in April 2000. A witty and technically approachable setting of Edward Lear’s poem.
"Giles Swayne, composer, pianist and wit, is a national treasure." (The Strad)
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GZ 051
Elegy for a wicked world
Giles Swayne
Flute, Percussion (1 player), Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass. Duration: 13 minutes. Commissioned by the 2005 Yoxford Festival. First performed at St. Peter’s Church, Yoxford, Suffolk on 26th August 2005 by Anna Noakes, Gary Kettel, Jackie Shave, Clare Finnimore, Caroline Dearnley and Mary Scully. Swayne’s first instrumental chamber work for several years, this piece uses contrasted 8–note modes to create maximum diversity within an audible harmonic unity, and consists of a single sonata–form movement, framed by an introduction and coda which are dominated by the thudding of funeral drums. Written in the shadow of the London bombings of July 2005, it mourns the death of sanity and tolerance in world affairs.
2 Fls, 3 Obs, 3 Clars, Alto Sax, Ten Sax, Bar Sax, Bssn, 3 Tpts, 2 Hns (in F), 2 Tenor Trombs, Tuba, Timp, 2 Perc. Duration: 4 minutes. Commissioned by Bedford Modern School Wind Band for their inaugural concert on 5th February 1985. A ceremonial prelude. Rhythmically quite simple: written for beginners/moderately proficient players.
Picc, 2 Fls, 2 Obs, Solo Clt, 3 Clts, Bass Clt, 2 Bsns, 2 Alto
Sax, Ten Sax, Bar Sax, 2 Tpts, Solo Cornet, 3 Cornets, 4 Horns (F), 2
Tenor Trombs, Bass Tromb, Euphonium, Tuba, Timpani, 3 Percussion, Piano
(optional).. Duration: 5½ minutes. Written as incidental
music for the complete Babar stories of Jean de Brunhoff and read by
John Nettleton of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Babar the
Elephant was commissioned by Tellastory (Random House) for their
popular audio cassette series. This wind band arrangement, made by the
composer, includes the original title music and several lively
depictions of Babar’s adventures. Bedford Modern School Wind Band gave
the first performance of the wind band version in 1986.
String orchestra and Harpsichord. Duration: 15 minutes. A modern concerto grosso in three movements. Commissioned by the Esterházy Orchestra, and first performed at their inaugural concert in the Banqueting House, Whitehall, in October 1985, conducted by John Blood. Broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in 1987 by the Ulster Orchestra, conducted by Vernon Handley.
2 Flutes (2nd doubling Piccolo), 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets, 2 Bassoons; 4 Horns, 2 Trumpets, 3 Trombones, Tuba; Timpani; 2 Percussion; Piano; Strings. Duration: 10 minutes. 5 movements. Written 1987. A light–hearted romp, this is an exhilarating and contrasted set of character–studies in the manner of a ballet Divertissement.
Piccolo, 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, Cor Anglais, 2 Clarinets, 2 Bassoons; 4 Horns, 3 Trumpets, 3 Trombones, Tuba; Timpani; 3 Percussion; Harp; Piano; Strings. Duration: 24 minutes. Written 1978–9. Six movements. The boy of the title, isolated at the start, sets off optimistically to change the world; dances with different characters, endures trials and disappointments, and eventually finds his true identity. The character of the boy is played by two identical dancers who merge at the end. An absorbing allegory about coming out as a gay man.
Piccolo, 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets, 2 Bassoons; 4 Horns, 2 Trumpets, 3 Trombones, Tuba; Timpani; 2 Percussion; Piano; Strings. Duration: 9 minutes. A one – movement concert overture, written in 1984 after a visit to friends in Prague, and dedicated to the people of that beautiful city.
The spiritual warmth characteristic of Smetana, Dvorák & Martinu gradually sweeps away harsher and more impersonal music.
2 Flutes (2nd doubling Piccolo), 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets (1st in B flat, 2nd in A), 2 Bassoons; 4 Horns (2 in B flat alto, 2 in E), 2 Trumpets (1st in E flat, 2nd in D); Timpani; Strings. Duration: 12 minutes. Composed in December 2005 during a residency at the Abbaye aux Dames in Saintes, France, and first performed in Bruges, Bruxelles and Paris in November 2006 by the Jeune Orchestre Atlantique conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken. Cast in a single movement, it was designed to show off the skills of this young period–instrument orchestra, and is scored for natural horns and trumpets, with woodwind, strings and timpani as used in the 1820s.
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Score and parts available on hire
Study score: £12.50
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GZ 059
Symphony no. 1
–
a small world
Giles Swayne
The dogs of war
Silent Spring
Threnody
Large orchestra: 3 Flutes (2nd doubling Alto flute and 2nd Piccolo, 3rd doubling 1st Piccolo), 2 Oboes, Cor anglais, 3 Clarinets (1st in B flat, 2nd in A doubling E flat Clarinet, 3rd in B flat doubling Bass clarinet), 2 Bassoons, Contrabassoon; 4 Horns, 3 Trumpets, 3 Trombones, Tuba; Timpani, Percussion (5 players); Celesta, 2 Harps; Strings. Duration: 44 minutes. Commissioned by the BBC and first performed on 17th November 2007 at St David's Hall, Cardiff by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Jac van Steen. Begun in 2006 and completed in September 2007, this is the first large orchestral piece from Giles Swayne since The song of Leviathan of 1988. It stems from the composer’s fury that the human race has so maltreated the planet. The dogs of war is a long, increasingly savage movement which conveys the restlessly destructive power of human activity. In Silent Spring a treacly, insidious waltz gradually invades and destroys a forest dawn-chorus. Near the end, each creature sings one last desperate phrase; each is chopped down by a killer blow from the orchestra. The finale, Threnody, is a lament for Man’s extinction. It begins with a piccolo – the last bird in the world – singing its heart out in a dead landscape. Eight variations follow, the last of which is a passacaglia with eight short variations of its own – which return us to the melody of the opening.
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Study Score: £30 Conductor's score and parts available to hire
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Catchy Tune
